Over the Edge
by DearieMate
Summary: One shot: Hook has fallen over a cliff, but is assumed to be dead when he is not. He overhears what Emma has to say about him. Fluff.


The screams of the Savior and her family echoed over the cliff and throughout the woods on the edge of town. The sound died out, and there was nothing but silence, and the ringing in their ears of the shrill laughter of the Wicked Witch.

Moments before, Hook had hurled himself at the Witch, who had been holding Henry with a knife to his throat. Henry was able to go free, but the second Emma looked back up to make sure Hook was okay, he was nowhere to be seen. There was only one option - _down._

Emma darted towards the edge, screaming, "HOOK!?"

Before she was able to reach it and look over for him, two arms had closed in around her from behind. Charming held her back, but Emma continued to kick and scream Hook's name.

Snow ran up beside them, and with as calm of a voice as she could muster, attempted to console her daughter. Emma had collapsed in front of them, hot tears rolling down her face. She couldn't see anything clearly, her mind reduced to her hazy nightmare.

"No…" Emma cried into her father's shoulder. He held the back of her head and tried to hold her steady.

He was gone.

Above him, over the top of the cliff, Killian could hear the Swan girl's screams. He had managed to push the Witch over the cliff, thinking that he would fall to his own death as well. But something stirred in him as he tipped over the edge. An innate, carnal feeling that he had felt so many times before. There was only one thought in his mind -**survive.**

At the last possible second, he swung his arm and managed to catch his hook in the crevice of a large rock. His body fell against the side of the cliff, and he found a place to set his foot and hold himself up. With his free hand, he grabbed a root sticking out through the dirt, and steadied himself. He wanted to yell up to them, to Emma. But he couldn't speak. His adrenaline was rushing and pumping through his veins from his near fall, and if he wanted to live, he needed a moment to calm himself.

As he pressed his forehead against the rocks of the cliff, he heard her screaming his name. He looked up, surprised to be hearing her voice. He was surprised to hear how distraught she was, thinking that he was gone forever.

He waited, knowing that even if he were to speak up then, no one would hear him over her screams and sobs. After a few moments, he heard the footsteps of the group moving further away, growing lighter. A moment of panic set in. Were they really going to just abandon him like that?

And then he heard her again. This time it was just her. And her boy, Henry.

The boy spoke first. "Mom, I'm so sorry."

Emma was sitting on the ground with her face in her hands. She looked up at Henry,and then out into the vast canyon before them. With a sigh she said, _"I loved him."_

Hook felt his heart jump within his chest.

"I loved him, too, Mom. He saved me," Henry said as he laid his hand on her shoulder.

"He saved me too, kid," Emma said. "I never thought that I could love anyone again, but I was wrong. He was the kindest and fiercest friend I've ever had. I just can't…believe this. I can't believe that he would just leave me like this."

Henry embraced Emma, and the two stood up. Emma brushed the dirt off of herself and put an arm around Henry's shoulder, trying to balance herself. As they turned to walk away, they heard a sound coming from beyond the cliff. It sounded like pebbles falling, and a scraping sound, like something metal.  
It couldn't be…

Hook finally found the strength to shout up to them. "Oi, is anyone still up there?"

"Oh my god!" Henry shouted. Before he could say anything else, Emma was already running up to the edge of the cliff, ready.

She laid down on her stomach and scooted up to the very edge. Placing her fingers over the mossy dirt, she pulled herself over just enough to look down, and sure enough, about 5 feet down, was her pirate.

She let out a cry as she smiled at him, to which he answered, "Hey, beautiful."

"You bastard," Emma said. "If I wasn't so happy to see you I'd let you stay there." She turned to Henry and told him to run and get David to help them.

Hook laughed. "Ah, yes, I heard all about it, love. Why don't you help me get back up there and you can really tell me how you feel."

Emma blushed at his words. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough," he sneered.

Emma placed a hand on her forehead and muttered to herself, "Oh my god, I feel so stupi-"

Before she could finish, Killian had cut her off. "Emma, love, stop."

She looked down into his eyes, deep as the canyon that hung below them.

Killian continued, "You don't have to worry, love. I'm not going anywhere. **I love you, too**."


End file.
